


S2- Petal to the Metal

by thudworm



Series: Tony Stark Bingo 2019 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Blind Date, Human Disaster Clint Barton, M/M, Second Chances, sort of mistaken identity, stood up accidentally
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 12:45:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17960798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thudworm/pseuds/thudworm
Summary: Tony loved his job running his own flower shop. He really did. But there were times it took its toll, like today. It was hard not to let the constant stream of happily-in-love customers remind him of what he didn’t have. Doubly so after the sting of being rejected, sight unseen.





	S2- Petal to the Metal

**Author's Note:**

> Fill for square S2 of my bingo card- AU: Flower Shop

Tony loved his job running his own flower shop. He really did. But there were times it took its toll, like today. It was hard not to let the constant stream of happily-in-love customers remind him of what he didn’t have. Doubly so after the sting of being rejected, sight unseen.

Natasha had been nagging him for months to let her set him up on a blind date with one of her friends, boasting about her successes in pairing up other friends with each other. So he had finally given in, thinking that either she was right and he would like this ‘Clint’ enough for a second date, or she was wrong and he could use that to get her to leave him alone about his love life (or lack thereof). 

Which was how Tony had found himself sitting alone at the coffee shop down the street for over an hour, wearing a red scarf as an obvious signal, waiting for a date who never turned up. The worst thing wasn’t even the rejection itself, but the pitying looks from the staff and other customers. Because his increasingly desperate looks at his phone for a response that never came made it blindingly obvious to everyone around him what had happened. 

When Nat had stopped in before he opened ‘Petal to the Metal’ for their weekly coffee catchup her first question had been “so what did you think of Clint?” The murderous look on Natasha’s face when Tony told her that it was hard to have an opinion on someone he’d never met was almost enough to make Tony feel sorry for the poor bastard who was now on her bad side. Almost. 

She let the subject drop after that, and their conversation moved onto happier topics like Nat’s plans for a weekend away with Bucky for their anniversary. She waited until 5 minutes before Tony was due to open the store to bring up the disaster of a blind date again. “I will get to the bottom of what happened last night with Clint. There will be a do-over date tonight. Clint will be there, on time, and he will be very sorry.”

Tony shook his head. “Come on Nat. Leave me to my fate as a crazy cat dude.”

She scoffed. “You’re at least three cats short of that. Please, Tony. Give this another chance. Do it for me, if not for yourself.”

Tony sighed. It was pointless to argue with Natasha when she brought out that soft tone of voice. “Fine. But you owe me a favour now for agreeing with this.”

“I promise you won’t regret this,” she said as she kissed him on the cheek, and then she was out the door. 

Which was how Tony found himself several hours later, staring at his phone with a message from Nat with just the name of a different coffee shop and a time, 7pm.

The bell above the door rang as a new customer entered the store. The guy was tall and blond, and he looked like he was a few years younger than Tony. Which may have just been because of the purple band-aid across the bridge of his nose. Tony probably shouldn’t have found it as cute as he did.

“Hi there! What can I help you with today?” Tony greeted.

The customer smiled sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair. “I have a date tonight, and I sorta need something that says ‘sorry.’”

“How big of an apology are we talking here?” Tony asked. “An ‘I was home late every night this week,’ apology or an ‘I forgot about our anniversary and went out drinking with friends instead?’ apology. ”

“Uh, probably closer to the second one. I have a date tonight and I need to say sorry for stuffing up the first one.”

“The first date and you already need my services? I’m sure there’s an interesting story there, the type of thing that becomes a family legend if you manage to stay together.” Tony knew he was prying where he probably wasn’t wanted, but focussing on someone else’s dating woes was better than dwelling on his own. 

The guy he was talking to didn’t seem to mind talking about it, though. “I was on my way home from the archery range,” he started. The tale went for a solid five minutes, and finished with “so at the end of it I’m left standing there with just one shoe, im soaking wet, and I couldn’t even send the poor guy I’m meant to be meeting a message to let him know. By the time I got there he was gone, not that I blame him.” 

“Wow. Just… wow.” Tony shook his head. “That has got to be one of the most outlandish stories I’ve heard in my 15 years in this business. Somehow I do believe you, but good luck convincing your date you’re not bullshitting them.”

“Yeah, well. Hopefully the flowers help. Or at least convince him not to throw his drink in my face.”

Tony showed his customer the pre-arranged bouquets he had available, and made a few suggestions about the colour and types of flowers. In the end, his customer decided on a red and yellow arrangement.

“Thank you so much for this, man. If this isn’t enough to earn me a second chance, nothing will.”

“Feel free to stop in tomorrow and let me know how it went. And if your date doesn’t forgive you, maybe I’d be interested in taking you out.” The words were out of Tony’s mouth before he could think better of it, and he could kick himself for it. He knew better than to hit on customers, especially on this business. 

Fortunately, the guy wasn’t put off by the request, and even sort of nodded in agreement before he took his flowers and left.

The rest of Tony’s work day was unremarkable, and before he knew it he was sitting in the cafe Nat sent him to, trying to resist the urge to check his watch every 30 seconds, and eagerly looking up every time the door opened.

He was looking out for the purple beanie Nat had told him his date would be wearing, but it was the flower arrangement the man was holding that first caught Tony’s attention. The customer he’d been flirting with this afternoon was somehow the same guy he was set up on a blind date with. 

He could tell the moment he was spotted and his red scarf recognised, and he could then tell when Clint registered who Tony was. He didn’t think he’d seen anyone look so obviously awkward as Clint did as he came over to where Tony was sitting.

“Nat put you up to this, didn’t she?” Tony accused. “She told you where to find my shop, and sent you to talk to me before our date.”

“No. Nat had nothing to do with that. Well, not nothing- she did tell me that I needed to bring something to make it up to you, but I think she was suggesting more like a box of chocolates. I just was walking past your store and it seemed like a good idea, i guess?” Clint said with a shrug. 

Tony considered getting up and walking out, but only for a moment. “I suppose this is what I get for not asking your name when you were in my shop. I mean, what are the odds, right?” 

“Does this mean the flowers work? I guess Nat was right.” Clint said.

“Yeah, they work. Come on, sit down already.”

There was an awkward silence between them as Clint took a seat, but thankfully the server came to take their order with perfect timing. Tony was definitely going to leave a massive tip. 

“How’d you get into running a flower shop, anyway? Not many guys who’d have that as their first career choice.” Clint asked. 

“Spite,” was Tony’s simple answer, which earned a laugh from Clint.  “It started as a way to piss off dear old dad, but then, hey! I realised I loved doing it, and haven’t looked back.”

“I know a thing or two about doing something just to make a point to someone.”

Conversation flowed easily from there, and before they knew it they were being politely prodded by the cafe staff to get the hell out because it was closing time. 

“I think you were right, Clint said as they loitered out the front of the cafe. “This is the something we’ll be telling our grandkids about some day.” 

Tony laughed. “I think you might be skipping a few steps ahead of yourself there.”

“Which steps?”

“Like a second date, to start with.”

Clint affected a ridiculously overdone pout. “I was hoping you were going to say ‘a goodnight kiss.’”

“Oh, I think that can be arranged,” Tony replied. Clint met him halfway, only for them to break apart when Tony copped a face full of flowers.

“Sorry, it’s hard to hold these and kiss you at the same time.”

“I guess we’ll just have to practice a bit more then.”


End file.
